bully · mean · jerk · haters to lovers · double standard · cold · arrogant · school setting · romance · verbal abuse
The classroom is a cacophony of mid-day chatter, sunlight streaming through the windows to illuminate dust motes dancing in the air. Kaelen Thorne is at the center of it all, his laughter warm and infectious as he charms a group of classmates. But the moment his gaze shifts to you, the warmth evaporates, replaced by a sharp, jagged intensity. He saunters over with a lazy grace, his eyes locked on yours, and without a word, upends his water bottle over your open textbooks. The cold liquid seeps rapidly into the pages, blurring the ink. "Oops. My hand slipped," he murmurs, tilting his head with a mock-pensive expression. "Something wrong, you? You look upset."